1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lighter, in particular a gas-operated lighter, having a lighter body with a lighter head and a connected fuel tank, wherein at least two fastening elements are connected to the lighter body, by which the lighter can be attached to the exterior of a cigarette pack, wherein the fastening elements rest against two lateral sides of the cigarette pack which extend parallel with each other.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional lighter is known from German Patent Reference DE 84 27 004 U1. A holder is used for attaching the lighter to the cigarette pack. The holder has two legs, which are connected with each other via a connecting section. The connecting section divides two receiving areas between the two legs. The lighter can be maintained clamped between the legs in the one receiving area. The second receiving area is used for attachment to the cigarette pack. For this purpose the holder is pushed on the cigarette pack so that the connecting section contacts a narrow side of the cigarette pack. The two legs extend around the front, or rear side of the cigarette pack. The cigarette pack is deformed by the legs embodied as holding elements, and the two holding elements are simultaneously bent outward. The clamping force of the two holding elements cannot be so strong that the pulling of the holder off the cigarette pack is prevented. The large clamping forces required for this lead to the possible damage of individual cigarettes stored in the cigarette pack. If the cigarette pack is only partially filled with cigarettes, the cigarette pack does not provide a sufficiently large resistance to the holding elements, so that no clamping effect exists any more, particularly in connection with soft cigarette packs.
A lighter is described in PCT Reference WO97/05427, on whose fuel tank a holding element, embodied as a clip, is formed in one piece. The clip can be inserted into a cigarette pack so that one lateral wall of the cigarette pack is clampingly held between the clip and the fuel tank. The attachment of such a lighter on a cigarette pack is often difficult in those cases in which the cigarette pack is completely filled with cigarettes. It is necessary to push the cigarettes awkwardly to the side with the cigarette pack open, and the clip is then inserted.
A similar lighter is also known from Austrian Patent Reference AT 241 175. A clip, which is formed on a housing unit, is also used in this document. The housing unit has a receptacle, into which a throwaway lighter can be inserted.
It is one object of this invention to provide a lighter of the type mentioned above, which can be simply and securely placed on a cigarette pack and that has a visually pleasing structure.
This object is achieved with holding elements designed as wire hoops, each of which rests with at least one support section on the exterior of the associated cigarette pack. The wire hoops can be designed as visually inconspicuous elements, which lend the lighter a visual airiness. Moreover, the wire hoops can also be designed in such a way that the support sections can perform sufficiently large spring travels, so that a secure fixing in place of the cigarette pack is always provided.
In accordance with one embodiment, the lighter has a sliding surface arranged on the fuel tank, which is in contact with an exterior surface of the cigarette pack. The sliding surface transitions into support surface. The wire hoop has a leading runner in the transition area between the sliding surface and the support surface, which makes a transition into the support section. When the lighter is to be attached to the cigarette pack, it is initially placed with its sliding surface against the associated exterior surface of the cigarette pack. It is subsequently possible to displace the lighter in the direction of the long extension of this exterior surface. During this, the leading runners contact with the cigarette pack and are deflected on it in a spring-elastic manner. Accordingly, the leading runners are used as attachment aids and simplify the manipulation of the lighter.
In this connection, it is possible to provide a sliding surface that follows the support surface on both sides in the area facing the lighter head, as well as in the area facing away from the lighter head, and the wire hoops have leading runners in the area of these two sliding surfaces. With this embodiment the lighter can be selectively pushed on the cigarette pack over one or the other sliding surface.
In one embodiment of this invention, the wire hoops have a bow-shaped curved section which supports the support sections, and the support sections are facing each other and enclose a free distance between them, which is less than the width of the exterior of the cigarette pack used for attaching the lighter. In this case the wire hoops can be attached, inclined with respect to the lighter body.
It is also conceivable that the support sections are bent away from the bow-shaped curved section and extend behind the longitudinal edges formed between the exterior and the connected sides of the cigarette pack. The cigarette pack has a high degree of rigidity especially in the area of the longitudinal edges. The support sections now extend behind these longitudinal edges, because of which the sides connected with the longitudinal edges are slightly bent inward because of being acted upon by the support sections. The support sections also interlockingly extend behind the longitudinal edges and thus fix the lighter securely in place. The longitudinal edges can also form guide edges, along which the support sections of the lighter can be pushed, which has advantages in connection with the easy attachment of the lighter on the cigarette pack. The bow-shaped sections preferably rest against the support sections, as well as against the area of the partial sections following the support sections. The partial sections are arranged spaced apart from each other, so that a support length is created which makes possible the wobble-free clamping of the lighter.
The wire hoops are preferably injection-molded on the fuel tank, which is made of plastic. When manufacturing the fuel tank in an injection-molding machine, the wire hoops can also be placed into the injection mold. But it is also possible for the wire hoops to be a component of a fastening unit, which can be connected with the lighter.